Don't ask Alice by Judi Curtin

Puffin Books, 2012. ISBN 9780143306603.
(Age: pre teen girls) Megan lives in Limerick with her mum and dad and little sister, Rosie. Her mum is an environment enthusiast who wears strange clothes and grows her own vegetables. Even her dad can be embarrassing! At least they are all together as a family which is what her best friend wants most in the world.
Alice's parents have separated and for seven months she and her brother live far away in Dublin with their mother. Megan misses her terribly and is delighted when Alice returns.  Her dad still  lives next door which means the two can spend all their spare time together, doing what best friends do.  However Alice has a mission and she enlists Megan in her various schemes to get her parents back together. Alice has many ideas about how to reunite her parents. Unfortunately she tends to act impulsively which means Megan is constantly in damage control. Megan is torn between wanting to be a loyal friend and pointing out the obvious pitfalls in Alice's schemes.
This is the third book in the Alice and Megan series. It is clearly aimed at pre teen girls and the issues that preoccupy this age group. It is quite a humorous and upbeat book with a simple message about learning to accept what you can't change.
Tina Cain